This invention relates to a door construction and more particularly to a door frame and jamb construction which is exposed to high temperatures.
The invention is particularly applicable to use as a coke oven door frame and jamb assembly and will be described with particular reference thereto; however, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention has broader applications and may be used in other environments where a door frame and jamb assembly exposed to high temperatures must resist or be adapted to heat induced warpage which would otherwise prevent the assembly from performing the intended function in the intended manner.
Coke oven is a term employed for large ovens which are used to produce coke and coke by-proudcts from coal. While typically there are a number of types and styles of coke ovens, they typically have a substantially vertical height and depth in relation to the width and, in some respects, resemble a very large closet. In many instances, the height of these ovens is well over (10) feet and a substantial portion of the front face of the oven may be selectively opened and closed by means of a coke oven door. Normally, a plurality of the individual ovens are located in a side by side relationship to form what is commonly termed an oven battery in order that a high volume of coke and coke by-products may be made at one location.
In the type of oven described above, an oven door frame is provided which, in actuality, normally covers or defines substantially the entire front wall of the oven itself. This frame has an opening which is elongated in the vertical direction and which defines the coke oven access opening which may be selectively covered by the coke oven door itself. Interposed between the outer peripheral surface of this elongated opening and the outer peripheral edges of the frame to extend outwardly of the outer face thereof is a jamb. This jamb provides rigid support for the frame in an effort to reduce or eliminate warpage thereof during coking operations. Warpage is a significant problem due to the high temperatures, e.g., 2000.degree. F and above, acting on the inside face of the frame and door during such operations.
In prior coke ovens, the frames and jambs have been constructed of cast iron and have typically been cast by foundries to be very thick or heavy in order to withstand the elevated operating temperatures and to provide rigidity therefor. However, such cast iron frames and jambs have an extremely undesirable characteristic in that they will lose their original shape when subjected to elevated temperatures, "hour glass" and then crack. Once distorted, it is extremely difficult to reshape these cast iron frames back to the original shape or condition while the frames remain in place on the associated ovens. Thus, proper repair of prior cast iron frames has necessitated that they be removed from the ovens for repair or reshaping and then reinstalled following such repair or reshaping. These maintenance requirements cause extremely undesirable and lengthy oven down time periods. If the frames are not maintained in a proper fitting relationship with the ovens and coke oven doors, there will be heat and pollution loss as well as air admission into the ovens. Such circumstances are undesirable from both environmental and overall operational points of view.
The subject invention is directed toward an improved construction for a coke oven frame and jamb assembly which overcomes the above discussed problems and provides an improved frame and jamb assembly which is simple to manufacture, readily adaptable to use on the various types and styles of conventional coke ovens, provides a structure which is extremely rigid and provides a structure which may be easily reshaped to its original configuration in place of a coke oven in the event there is distortion incurred during coking operations.